About /
Our Story
Sisa means ‘remainder’ or ‘remnant’ in Bahasa Indonesia.
Accumulating bit-by-bit as a bi-product of the carpet manufacturing process, there are more than 20 tonnes of ‘deadstock’ excess yarn in a premium carpet factory in Bandung, Indonesia. All this ‘remainder’ yarn is of exceptional quality- 100% New Zealand wool, in varying quantities and colours - just waiting to be repurposed.
Working in close partnership with the carpet factory, Sisa Studio repurposes this excess yarn to its best use, creating small batch rugs that are carefully and ethically made by skilled hand-tufters in Bandung.
These one-of-a-kind rugs are created to add to your collection of meaningful artworks and objects in your home. Designed in limited runs by renowned women artists, each unique series has a story, an intention, a new life.
Explore Series 1.0, designed by Claire Ritchie.
Explore our in-house collection, Sisa Studio Staples.
Our Process
Hand-tufting is a relatively contemporary method of making handmade rugs.
Unlike hand-knotted rugs, hand-tufted rugs are made without tying knots- instead, they’re made by pushing yarn with a tool called a tufting gun, through a mesh canvas backing, stretched on a frame. The result can be yarn that looks either ‘cut’ or ‘looped’ or both, on the canvas.
Once the hand-tufting process is completed, Sisa Studio’s skilled tufting specialists remove the rug from its frame and the maker uses a latex glue to hold the ‘tufts’ in place.
After the glue dries, the rug is then covered by a final protective cloth backing so it’s ready for use on the floor, the wall or otherwise.
Sisa Studio collaborates with artists and designers whose style is adaptable to the hand-tufting process, utilising our premium quality yarns to create limited edition, one-of-a-kind rugs.
We also work on bespoke rug projects, big or small — get in touch with us to start the conversation.
Project founder
Vinisha comes from generations of textile makers, from suit tailoring to textile manufacturing, with roots in India, Japan, Indonesia and Australia.
She has extensive experience working across art, design and community engagement. While working on this project, Vinisha taught herself to hand-tuft to better understand the craft, and takes commissions for smaller bespoke artworks.
In her work on Sisa Studio, Vinisha collaborates with artists to create limited edition and small-batch hand tufted rugs - putting premium, redundant wool yarn to its best use. If you’re interested in collaborating, feel free to get in touch.
Hand-tufted
with care
Every one of our limited edition, small-batch rugs are carefully and ethically made by skilled hand-tufting artisans in Bandung, Indonesia.
100% premium
NZ wool
We work collaboratively with a premium carpet factory to repurpose their redundant supply of New Zealand wool yarn, ensuring the material’s best use.
Artist-designed, in limited editions.
Our one-of-a-kind rugs are designed in limited runs by renowned women artists, according to the colours and quantities of the yarns available.
Limited Edition — only four Bold Bloomer in Yellow rugs made.
With its confident shapes and striking floral composition, our Bold Bloomer has a strong, commanding presence. The solid forms lend themselves beautifully to bold blocks of colour, giving the rug an eye-catching quality that brings a warmth and energy to any space. Think, feature piece. The Bold Bloomer comes in yellow, lavender and blue.
Designed by Brisbane-based artist Claire Ritchie, Bold Bloomer was expertly hand-tufted in Bandung, Indonesia, using premium New Zealand wool yarn. While this rug was designed for the floor, it could also be displayed as a wall hanging.
From Claire: “Bold Bloomer is one of three hand-tufted rug designs, created in collaboration with Sisa Studio, chosen to form a cohesive yet diverse collection. Each piece stands confidently on its own, while also complementing the others when presented together. The selection offers a balance of boldness, playfulness, and subtlety - an intentional trio of visual experiences”.
Available in two sizes:
Small: 1.0m x 1.35m, 6.12kg
Medium: 1.67m x 2.2m, 16.64kg
Materials:
100% New Zealand wool
From:
Series 1 — Renewal by Claire Ritchie
Care:
View our rug care instructions here.
Pricing is inclusive of GST.